Stackable tray for temporarily storing documents or other items

ABSTRACT

A letter or like tray stackable with other similar trays in various upright or stair-like or cross-wise stack arrangements, the tray having bottom runners with recesses for interlocking engagement with the walls of a similar tray thereunder in a stack, said recesses allowing the building of cross-wise stack arrangements of such trays with front access openings facing in two or three or four different directions.

United States Patent Grosse Aug. 7, 1973 [54] STACKABLE TRAY FOR TEMPORARILY 647,388 4/1900 Evans 220/97 R X STORING DOCUMENTS OR OTHER ITEMS 3,152,698 10/1964 Maddox 211/126 X [76] Inventor: Wolfgang C. F. Grosse, Seestrasse FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS P bel Zurich, 2,003,042 11/1969 France 211/126 Switzerland 1,332,225 6/1963 France 211/126 [22] Filed: Nov. 19, 1971 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier [211 App! 200490 Assistant Examiner-Thomas J. l-lolko Attorney-Michael S. Striker [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 5, 1970 Germany P 20 59 960.4 [57] ABSTRACT 52 us. c1. 211/128 220/97 B A like stackable with rays 51 1111.01 13 6511 21/02 upright siair'like mss-wise slack 58 Field 61 Search 211/126 128 10 rangememsthemy having 21 1/1 1 220/97 R 97 B D ses for interlocking engagement with the walls ofa similar tray thereunder in a stack, said recesses, allowing [56] References Cited the building of cross-wise stack arrangements of such trays with front access openings facing in two or three UNITED STATES PATENTS or four different directions. 1,207,279 12/1916 Crum 220/97 D 3,214,056 10/1965 Box 220/2345 X 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures STACKABLE TRAY FOR TEMPORARILY STORING DOCUMENTS OR OTHER ITEMS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an oblong stackable storage tray of the kind (herein called the kind defined) made of synthetic plastics material and used for temporarily holding letters or files or other documentary items, comprising a base, side walls, a rear wall substantially shorter than the side walls, front wall portions leaving an access opening to facilitate taking hold of items in the tray, and runners which are on the underside of the base and which serve also as locating abutment co-operating with the side walls of another similar tray thereunder when the trays are stacked and which have recesses for engagement with the rear wall of an other similar tray thereunder when the trays are stacked in a stair-like arrangement.

Trays of the kind defined are known. Therein it is also possible that their runners or comparable portions upon the underside of the base have several recesses so that the trays can be placed interlockingly one upon another in various stairs-like arrangements. Such trays are conventionally used on desks for example for holding letters. It is also possible to arrange the individual trays alternatingly displaced through ismsmassa es several of the trays have their access openings towards one side and the other trays have their access openings at the side lying diametrically opposite thereto. Thus a stack of such trays can be used in common from two working positions lying opposite to one another. However, then a stair-like arrangement and the advantages connected therewith of an easier access for taking hold of items in the trays are not achievable.

The invention is therefore intended to provide an improved tray of the kind defined of which the field of practical utility is extended and which also can be used from two working positions with the advantages of a stairs-like stacking arrangement, namely with the improved access thereby afforded for taking hold of the contents of the trays.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a tray of the kind defined characterised in that the runners also have further recesses for engagement upon at least one of the side walls of another similar tray thereunder when the trays are stacked in a cross-wise arrangement.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION With such a cross-wise arrangement a stack of trays can be utilised from two working positions displaced through 90 with respect to each other, but also with corresponding oblique positioning of the trays through from two working positions lying diametrically opposite to each other. With a cross-wise arrangement there is over the region of the access opening corresponding to the height of the next tray in sequence a freer space which makes the taking hold of the contents of a tray easier in a manner similar to that achieved with a stair-like stacking arrangement. Thus in a surprisingly simple manner the versatility of the tray is increased and its functional utility is improved.

Preferably the said further recesses are arranged so that when the tray is placed interlockingly cross-wise upon a similar tray thereunder the front portion of the upper tray extends upwardly substantially further than its rear portion from the lower tray. Thus the trays should be stacked cross-wise above one another as asymmetrically as possible so that the free space between the access opening of a lower tray and the side wall of the tray lying immediately thereabove is as great as possible.

Preferably each runner has a pair of said further recesses for engagement of the tray with each of the two side walls of a similar tray thereunder when the trays are stacked in a cross-wise arrangement.

The scope of the monopoly sought is defined in the claims hereinafter and how the invention can be put into practice appears from the following description and the accompany drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a storage tray in plan view,

FIG. 2 shows a detail view to an enlarged scale in section on the line II II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional view of two trays stacked one upon the other in a stairs-like arrangement,

FIG. 4 is a view of two trays stacked one upon the other in a cross-wise arrangement,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of two modified trays stacked one upon the other in a cross-wise arrangement and FIG. 6 is a front view of one of the trays according to FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The storage trays represented in. the drawings consist of synthetic plastics material and have a substantially oblong base 1, two side walls 2 and 3 extending in the lengthwise direction of the tray, a rear wall 4, and a front with a wide front access opening 5. On the underside of the base 1 extending lengthwise complementary to the side walls 2 and 3 are runners 6 which come into abutment against the inner sides of the side walls of another similar tray thereunder to serve as guides during the stacking of trays one upon another.

Correspondingly the runners 6 are arranged somewhat displaced towards the middle of the tray with respect to the side walls 2 and 3, as is shown in FIG. 2. Further there are cross-ribs 7 formed on the underside of the base between the two runners 6.

The upper margin 8 of each of the side walls 2 and 3 is, as shown in FIG. 2, of substantially U-shaped formation so that the tray can be slidably guided in a support (not shown) as a drawer.

In the vicinity of the rear wall 4 and at different spacings therefrom the runners 6 have each two narrow recesses 9 and 10 which lie one behind the other and with which one tray can engage upon the rear wall 4 of a similar tray thereunder in either of two different stair- Iike arrangements, one of which is shown in FIG. 3.

According to a feature of the invention the runners 6 have in addition a pair each of wider recesses 11 of which the width is suited to the width of the upper margin 8 of the side walls 2 and 3 and of which the spacing is such that in the manner shown in FIG. 4 the recesses 11 can engage upon the side walls 2 and 3 of a similar tray thereunder in a cross-wise arrangement. Because of this cross-wise stacking arrangement there is available above the front access opening of each tray in the direction of the arrow 12 (FIG. 4) a free space which corresponds at least to the free space in the direction of the arrow 13 (FIG. 3) in the stair-like stacking arrangement, so that with the cross-wise arrangement there exist the same advantages with respect to improved access for taking hold of the contents of a tray, and additionally there is the advantage of the stack of trays being usable from different sides.

DESCRIPTION REFERRING TO FIGS. 1 TO 4 In the form of construction according to FIGS. 1 to 4 the clear width of the base of the tray amounts to 325 X 247 mm, the interior clear height is 45 mm and the wall thickness is 2 mm. In FIG. 3 there is indicated in broken lines a sheet of paper 14 of DIN-A4 Format (210 mm X 297 mm. Forwardly to the front access opening 5 over the full width the base 1 rises with an inclined portion at a gentle angle a of approximately 12, and the inclined portion 15 begins at a distance 16 from the front edge of the region covered by the inserted sheet of paper 14 of DIN-A4 Format.

DESCRIPTION REFERRING TO FIGS. 5 AND 6 By way of variance from the form of embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the front inclined portion of the base is omitted.

In the form of embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 the dimensions of the trays and of the recesses 9 and 10 and 11 in the lower runners 6 for stacking in stairslike or in cross-wise arrangements of the trays are the same as in the form of embodiment according to FIGS.

1 to 4, for which reason for the functionally equivalent parts like reference numerals are used in all the Figures.

To sum up, there is the possibility to stack the trays in accordance with the invention upon one another in the following ways; either vertically one upon another facing in one direction or in the opposite directions, or

in a stairs-like arrangement in the longitudinal direction, or in a cross-wise arrangement, and indeed in a cross-wise arrangement with trays facing in four different directions. Furthermore the trays can advantageously be used and carried as single trays. Moreover, they can be used as slidable drawers in a supporting frame.

What is claimed is:

1. A stackable office tray for the temporary storage of documents comprising a substantially rectangular base with two longer sides and two shorter sides; two side walls extending upwardly from said longer sides of said base; a rear wall extending upwardly from one of said shorter sides; a front access opening on the other of said shorter sides; and two runners on the under side of said base adjacent and parallel to said longer sides of said base, said tray being stackable in a vertical stack with a similar tray thereunder and said runners having side faces extending in longitudinal direction and adapted to engage faces of the side wall of the similar tray thereunder for holding the two trays in the vertical stack against displacement in longitudinal direction and in a direction transverse thereto, said tray being also stackable in a stair-like stack with a similar tray thereunder and said runners having further at least one pair of first recesses adapted to be engaged with the rear wall of a similar tray thereunder while said side faces of said runners engage faces of the side wall of the similar tray for holding the two trays in the stair-like stack against displacement in longitudinal direction and in direction transverse thereto, said tray being further stackable in a cross-wise stack with a similar tray thereunder and each of said two runners having further a pair of second recesses respectively adapted to be engaged with said two side walls of a similar tray thereunder for holding the two trays in the cross-wise stack, at least two of said four second recesses being arranged for holding the upper tray against displacement in longitudinal direction of said runners with regard to the lower tray and in a position in which the portion of the upper tray provided with said front access opening extends outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall of the lower tray a distance considerable greater than the rear wall of said upper tray extends outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall of said lower tray.

2. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which each of said four second recesses are arranged for holding said upper tray against displacement in longitudinal direction thereof relative to said lower tray.

3. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein said runners are located inwardly of said longer sides of said base.

4. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein said side walls have upper edge portions of width greater than the upper edge portion of said rear wall and wherein said first recesses have a width substantially matching the width of said upper edge portion of said rear wall and said second recesses have a width substantially matching the width of said upper edge portions of said side walls.

5. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said runners is provided with a pair of first recesses arranged spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of the runner adjacent said rear wall.

6. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein the spacing of said second recesses along the respective runner is I equal to the transverse spacing of said side walls from each other.

k t I l 

1. A stackable office tray for the temporary storage of documents comprising a substantially rectangular base with two longer sides and two shorter sides; two side walls extending upwardly from said longer sides of said base; a rear wall extending upwardly from one of said shorter sides; a front access opening on the other of said shorter sides; and two runners on the under side of said base adjacent and parallel to said longer sides of said base, said tray being stackable in a vertical stack with a similar tray thereunder and said runners having side faces extending in longitudinal direction and adapted to engage faces of the side wall of the similar tray thereunder for holding the two trays in the vertical stack against displacement in longitudinal direction and in a direction transverse thereto, said tray being also stackable in a stair-like stack with a similar tray thereunder and said runners having further at least one pair of first recesses adapted to be engaged with the rear wall of a similar tray thereunder while said side faces of said runners engage faces of the side wall of the similar tray for holding the two trays in the stair-like stack against displacement in longitudinal direction and in direction transverse thereto, said tray being further stackable in a crosswise stack with a similar tray thereunder and each of said two runners having further a pair of second recesses respectively adapted to be engaged with said two side walls of a similar tray thereunder for holding the two trays in the cross-wise stack, at least two of said four second recesses being arranged for holding the upper tray against displacement in longitudinal direction of said runners with regard to the lower tray and in a position in which the portion of the upper tray provided with said front access opening extends outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall of the lower tray a distance considerable greater than the rear wall of said upper tray extends outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall of said lower tray.
 2. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which each of said four second recesses are arranged for holding said upper tray against displacement in longitudinal direction thereof relative to said lower tray.
 3. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein said runners are located inwardly of said longer sides of said base.
 4. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein said side walls have upper edge portions of width greater than the upper edge portion of said rear wall and wherein said first recesses have a width substantially matching the width of said upper edge portion of said rear wall and said second recesses have a width substantially matching the width of said upper edge portions of said side walls.
 5. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said runners is provided with a pair of first recesses arranged spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of the runner adjacent said rear wall.
 6. A tray as defined in claim 1, wherein the spacing of said second recesses along the respective runner is equal to the transverse spacing of said side walls from each other. 